[pinksoir]

I'm getting quite a bit of lip smacks and so on on my vocal takes. Most of these are editable out if they're between singing, but sometimes they occur in places where they can't be dealt with. I did consciously try to avoid them, but it would still happen, it's just a natural part of moving the mouth. And concentrating on it would affect the performance too. I tried drying my gums and everything!

Do you guys have any tips on how to avoid them? I'm using an AT2020 which I'm actually pretty happy with. Is it the mic? I feel like I'm at the right distance and I'm getting a good vocal sound. I've never had this problem in pro studios...

[stetyrrell]

Are you using a pop filter? Angling the mic a little bit can also help, as does running a 'de-esser' plugin.

[pinksoir]

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I've a pop filter. How should I angle the mic, down a little bit? I did try different positions and even sort of singing over the mic a bit, but the position I've found to be best for sound quality is the one with the saliva sounds unfortunately...

De-esser, hmmm... I'm not mad on using them as they suck out pretty important freqs. I guess I could go in and apply a filter to the vocal wav file at the points it happens though. Would that be noticeable?

[PaulBrewer]

This sounds like an 'Internet Problem' to me ... i.e. it doesn't really exist in the real world for most situations.

I have had the odd time where, perhaps in a quiet section, a mouth noise would be an issue but the solutions are simple .

1. Use a take without a noise.

2. Reduce the noise in level with either automation or gain changing i.e. it still exists as part of the overall take but not at a level that distracts

3. Remove it.

Mouth noises, like string noises on guitar, are often part of the overall 'feel' of a take so removing every little thing can sound unnatural.

[fitz]

Originally Posted by PaulBrewer

This sounds like an 'Internet Problem' to me ... i.e. it doesn't really exist in the real world for most situations.

I have had the odd time where, perhaps in a quiet section, a mouth noise would be an issue but the solutions are simple .

1. Use a take without a noise.

2. Reduce the noise in level with either automation or gain changing i.e. it still exists as part of the overall take but not at a level that distracts

3. Remove it.

Mouth noises, like string noises on guitar, are often part of the overall 'feel' of a take so removing every little thing can sound unnatural.

This. Point 2 in particular.

[madtheory]

Paul, I think you're right to an extent it's an "internet myth". Why? The reason professional recordists don't come across this problem is because they are normally recording professional singers.

It's all part of singing technique. Trained singers don't do this because, to put it bluntly, they're mouths are "athletic" compared to untrained singers.

This sort of thing can be dealt with by a speech therapist fairly routinely. Same as how it's a good idea to consult with a physiotherapist if you take up running late in life.

Or you could try having a glass of water 20 minutes before you start recording, I found that worked with one guy I recorded who had this problem pretty bad.

[PaulBrewer]

I wonder is there a speech therapist plugin ?

[madtheory]

What's the sports equivalent of a plugin- steroids? Lycra?

[old gregg]

singing with your mouth full

[Denalihighway]

yeah even as a serious amateur i've learnt how to mouth those trouble consonants without the pops, opening the lips smoothly etc.

not necessarily a great tip in general but personally i found a good way of training yourself is to even try achieving it without the pop blocker when you're just doing scratch VOX, which is far more challenging obviously and probably completely unnecessary! But if you can achieve it doing that then there'll be no probs once the red light and the pop blocker are on.

when i'm doing scratch VOX I just use a crappy condenser that i have permanently positioned on the desk> I was too lazy to sort it out with a pop blocker (I have one on the NT2A that i use for recording)...that's how that happened.

[pinksoir]

Cheers everyone for the replies. Maybe it's just me becoming hyper sensitive or something. I guess the best way is gain changing. It's not always possible to use a different take if that take isn't the best one, or isn't as good as the one with saliva sounds. Though I suppose it comes down to reaching a compromise. Hate compromises though...

I've been noticing it with the last bunch of songs I've recorded. This latest one, for example, has it occurring during the first part where it's just vox and guitar. I took the sounds out in between singing but it still occurs a little bit in other places. Or am I just being overly sensitive to it?

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now...ource=facebook

[madtheory]

It's not audible at all on that song...if I listen closely I think I can just about make it out. But it's so slight I could be imagining it. Which is not to say it's not there, but does show that maybe you are hyper sensitive. That's a common problem, getting too close to the thing.

[pinksoir]

Thank. God.

I guess it comes from listening so closely to the vox in isolation when I'm editing them and then my ears being tuned to those particular events that really aren't noticeable. Kinda like bringing a new element or part into a song and then dropping it in volume, the ear is tuned to it so even when it's lower in volume it's not lost in the mix. Or something.

Cheers.

[krd]

Originally Posted by pinksoir

I guess it comes from listening so closely to the vox in isolation when I'm editing them and then my ears being tuned to those particular events that really aren't noticeable.

In other words: You've lost your god damn mind.

If you have pops and clicks in places where you don't like them, use the pencil tool to reduce the volume. And if they're in places that can just be cut, just cut them.

If you're going to sing at a low volume, you're going to have noticeable noises. Signal to noise ratio.

The other thing, you're editing your own voice, which can be really disconcerting - your emotional attachment, may make it sound horrible to you, and then you over compensate in both the editing and performance. So, you may be underperforming and over editing.

Home production or self production leads to strange things - I think that style of super quick rapping came from people producing in their bedrooms and being neurotic over the sounds.

Lips smacks etc, usually lend colour. In the acapella of Kanye West's Gold digga, you can hear loads of smacks and noises, he even adds plenty for added groove.

[madtheory]

Originally Posted by krd

you may be underperforming and over editing.

So true. Something one really has to watch. I think this is the main reason people resort to a tape based system, because it forces you out of this mindset.